Clematis plant named ‘New Love’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Clematis plant named ‘New Love’, characterized by its upright growth habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; and large single and semi-double flowers that are pink in color.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION/CULTIVAR DESIGNATION

Clematis L. cultivar New Love.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Clematisplant, botanically known as Clematis L., and hereinafter referred to bythe name ‘New Love’.

The new cultivar originated from a random cross-pollination of twounidentified selections of Clematis L., not patented, in Boskoop, TheNetherlands. The new cultivar was discovered and selected by theInventor as a flowering plant within the progeny from thiscross-pollination in a controlled environment in Boskoop, TheNetherlands, in 1996.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by cuttings taken in Boskoop,The Netherlands, since 1997, has shown that the unique features of thisnew Clematis are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar New Love have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘New Love’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘New Love’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofClematis:

1. Upright and compact growth habit.

2. Strong stems.

3. Single violet-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Clematis differ primarily from plants of theunidentified parent selections primarily in flower color.

Plants of the new Clematis can be compared to plants of the Clematisheraclefolia cultivar Wyevale, not patented. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in Boskoop, The Netherlands, plants of the new Clematisdiffered from of the cultivar Wyevale in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Clematis were more compact than plants of thecultivar Wyevale.

2. Flowers of plants of the new Clematis are darker violet in color thanflowers of plants of the cultivar Wyevale.

3. Flowers of plants of the new Clematis are not as fragrant as flowersof plants of the cultivar Wyevale.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Clematis. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘New Love’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for thephotograph and the following description were about two years old andwere grown in 1.5-liter containers in an outdoor nursery in Boskoop, TheNetherlands. The following measurements and values represent averagestaken from a group of typical flowering plants during the late summer.

Botonical classification: Clematis L. cultivar New Love.

Parentage:

Female, or seed, parent.—Unidentified selection of Clematis L., notpatented.

Male, or pollen, parent.—Unidentified selection of Clematis L., notpatented.

Propagation:

Type.—By cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—About 30 days at 20 to 25° C.

Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About 42 days at 20 to 25° C.

Root description.—Numerous, fibrous, freely branching.

Plant description:

Form.—Perennial flowering subshrub; compact and upright plant habit;broad inverted triangle. Plants are basal branching with typically abouttwo main stems per plant. Moderately vigorous growth habit.

Plant height (length).—About 70 cm.

Plant diameter.—About 40 cm.

Stems.—Length: About 65 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Internode length:About 25 cm. Shape: Round in cross-section. Strength: Strong. Texture:Densely pubescent. Color: 143A to 143B.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite; compound; three leaflets perleaf. Length, terminal leaflet: About 10 cm. Length, lateral leaflets:About 7.5 cm. Width, terminal leaflet: About 8 cm. Width, lateralleaflets: About 4 cm. Shape, terminal leaflet: Broadly elliptic. Shape,lateral leaflets: Ovate. Apex, terminal leaflet: Acute. Apex, lateralleaflets: Acuminate. Base, terminal and lateral leaflets: Cuneate.Margin, terminal and lateral leaflets: Serrate with occasional shallowlobes. Texture, terminal and lateral leaflets, upper and lower surfaces:Slightly rugose; sparsely pubescent. Venation pattern, terminal andlateral leaflets: Pinnate. Petiole length, leaf: About 12 cm. Petiolediameter, leaf: About 4 mm. Color, terminal and lateral leaflets:Developing leaves, upper surface: Slightly lighter than 139A. Developingleaves, lower surface: 137C. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface:Slightly darker than 137A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: 137C.Venation, upper and lower surfaces: 144A. Petiole: 144A; towards thebase of the leaflets, N186C.

Flower description:

Flower type and habit.—Single salverform flowers arranged singly interminal and axillary cymes; about 30 flowers per cyme and about fivecymes per stem in flower at one time. Flowers face upright to outward.Flowers not persistent.

Natural flowering season.—Flowering continuous from the end of May untilSeptember in Boskoop, The Netherlands.

Flower longevity on the plant.—About one week.

Fragrance.—Moderate; pleasant and sweet.

Inflorescence height.—About 4 cm.

Inflorescence diameter.—About 6.5 cm.

Flower diameter.—About 2.5 cm.

Flower depth (height).—About 1.9 cm.

Flower buds.—Length: About 1.9 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Shape: Ovoid toflattened globular. Color: 92A to 94C.

Petals.—None observed.

Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Four. Length: About 2.3 cm. Width: About 5mm. Shape: Oblanceolate to somewhat spatulate. Apex: Acute. Base:Attenuate. Margin: Entire; undulate. Texture, upper surface: Glabrous,slightly rugose. Texture, lower surface: Glabrous, smooth. Color, singleflowers: When and fully opened, upper surface: 94B. When and fullyopened, lower surface: 94B to 85A.

Peduncles.—Length: About 2.5 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Angle: About 15to 45° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Color: 143A to 143B occasionallytinged with N186C.

Pedicels.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Angle: Erect toabout 80° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Color: 138C.

Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About 20. Anthershape: Oblong. Anther length: About 7 mm. Anther color: 4C. Amount ofpollen: Scarce. Pollen color: 4C to 4D. Pistils: Quantity per flower:About 10. Pistil length: About 3 mm. Stigma shape: Narrowly club-shaped.Stigma color: Close to 138C. Style length: About 2.8 mm. Style color:157D. Ovary color: 138D.

Fruit.—Quantity per plant: About 20. Type: Achene. Length: About 1.7 cm.Diameter: About 1.5 cm. Color: Brown, close to N200A to N200B.

Seed.—Length: About 2.5 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Color: Brown, close toN200A to N200B.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Clematis have not been notedto be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Clematis.

Weather tolerance: Plants of the new Clematis have been observed to betolerant to rain and wind and tolerant to temperatures from −20 to 40°C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Clematis plant named‘New Love’, as illustrated and described.